The managing director of Croydon's tram operator will be retiring this year after nearly two decades working on the network.

John Rymer already signalled his intent to retire in the past but stayed with Tram Operations Limited (TOL), a subsidiary of FirstGroup, after the tram crash at Sandilands in November, which claimed seven lives.

He carried on working to provide "continuity and stability" following the derailment, a spokesman for TOL said.

Mr Rymer will now retire in September following 17 years of working on the tram network.

A spokesman said: "Our thoughts remain with all those who were affected by the tragic incident, and we are grateful to John for his leadership and commitment during this difficult time."

He will be replaced by Jackie Townsend, formerly operations director at First Capital Connect.

She joined the business as interim managing director yesterday (June 26) and will work alongside Mr Rymer in the coming months to ensure a "comprehensive handover".

The new leader worked as a director of operations and managing director at Virgin Trains for 10 years, according to her LinkedIn.

The chief executive of FirstGroup, Tim O'Toole, was not paid his £723,415 bonus in light of the tram crash, with the company saying it would not be "appropriate".